Candid
by AquariusSunWriter
Summary: Annabeth Chase's life as a popular YouTuber is chaos. Reasons? First, her very public and even messier break up with her boyfriend. There's also the fact that she lives in the same house as all of her friends, which means she's always surrounded by cameras. What happens when she finds herself falling for her best friend, Percy Jackson? Will she ever get a break? YouTuber AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

**ANNABETH'S POV**

Annabeth stands in the doorway, knuckles turning white as she grips the handle. She can't speak because her heart is in her throat. The scene before her burns itself into her memory.

"Luke?" Her voice is hollow. "Drew?"

They stand in the bedroom of Luke's apartment. They stare at her, her boyfriend looking like a deer caught in the headlights. A smirk spreads across Drew's lips. Luke's shirtless and his hands in the process of unbuttoning Drew's blouse. Her fingers were just starting to unbuckle his belt.

"A-Annabeth!" Luke stutters, backing away from the girl he'd been undressing. "I-I can explain. It's not what it-"

"Shut up," Annabeth hisses. "Just _shut up_!" She turns and looks at Drew. "How long?"

"Six months, give or take a month." The girl shrugs carelessly, as if she wasn't just caught with her hands all over the blonde's _boyfriend _of three years. Annabeth nods, the feeling of fresh anger and stinging betrayal flooding through her. She turns, walking away.

"Annabeth, wait!" Luke yells after her. The blonde ignores him, taking off down the hallway. "Wait!" His pleas are once again ignored as she wrenches open the front door, stalking off towards the stairs and elevators. Luckily, she manages to slip in an elevator, leaving Luke still calling after her in the hall.

Annabeth is seething, tapping her foot impatiently as she waits to reach her desired floor. The lady in elevator with her eyes her with curiosity, but the blonde ignores her. It dings as it reaches the lobby, she rushes out the doors the second as they open.

She's halfway across the lobby, when a hand catches her by the wrist. She spins on the person. Luke's grip tightens.

"Don't fucking touch me!" She shouts, pulling her wrist from his hand. "Don't you dare touch me!" The blonde doesn't care that she's shouting and causing a scene. All that Annabeth can focus on is that her boyfriend - someone she loved with everything she had - had been cheating on her for months.

"Annabeth, please," He begs. "It was a mistake!"

"A mistake?" She scoffs. "You've been cheating on me for _six fucking months_! And with _her_?!"

"I can explain!" Luke pleads.

"No!" Annabeth snaps. "I don't want to hear any of your excuses! We're over."

"No, wait, please, let me fix this. Take me back. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!" He places his hands on her arms, but she shoves him away from her, yelling, "NO APOLOGY WILL FIX THIS! NOTHING WILL FIX WHAT YOU DID!" She turns her back on him and starts to walk away.

"I really am sorry." He calls after her.

Annabeth stops in her track. Over her shoulder, she bitterly replies, "You're only sorry because you were caught."

Ignoring the looks from the curious onlookers, the blonde storms off out the doors of the apartment building. She hails a taxi, currently not having the patience to wait for an Uber. She climbs in the back of the cab and tells the driver her address. They zip off into traffic. She leans her head against the window, watching aimlessly as the scenery flies past.

Annabeth had received a text Luke earlier in the evening, telling her to come over as he had a surprise for her. She had thought it was strange, as Luke was not one for surprises, but she went anyway. Judging from his reaction, though, he'd hadn't known she was coming. But, Drew's smirk replays in her mind.

The blonde closes her eyes. She and Drew have hated each other since they were high schoolers. There was no big reason for their mutual hatred. Their personalities just didn't mesh. One of her housemates, Leo, has compared their relationship to what happens when you mix gasoline and fire. The results are disastrous. Whereas Annabeth has always been mostly passive with their tumultuous relationship, only lashing out when required, Drew tends to be the aggressor.

A small part of her isn't surprised that Drew would go to such drastic lengths to hurt her. She always did have a vicious mean streak. Another part of her can't believe that Luke would sleep with Drew when he knows that the two hate each other. The remaining part of her can't believe that he had been cheating on her for half a year.

Looking back, she can now see that he had started to act differently, but she hadn't paid it much attention as her work load had started to pick up, creating less time for them to spend together. She was so blind to the signs because she was so in love with him that any prospect of that happiness disappearing hadn't crossed her mind.

* * *

**PERCY'S POV**

"No, no, no, no, no!" Percy cries as the Jenga tower topples over. "Damn it!" Beside him, Rachel, his girlfriend, sighs. On the other side of the destroyed tower, his cousin, Thalia, and her girlfriend, Reyna cheer victoriously.

"That's the third time!" Thalia cackles mockingly, unable to stop herself from rubbing in her win. "You really suck at this!"

"Oh, shut up, Pinecone Face." Percy fires back. Thalia throws one of the Jenga blocks him, which he dodges.

"We have a rule about no throwing things inside the house." Hazel reminds them from the couch.

"Why do we have that rule again?" Leo asks.

"Do you seriously not remember?" Reyna raises a skeptical eyebrow.

Jason scoffs in disbelief. "How do you not recall the Bowling Ball Window Fiasco of March?"

Piper snorts. "I don't know how he doesn't considering he's the one who caused it." But Leo stares at her with a blank face, clearly not remembering.

"It was the day that Annabeth threatened to lock you in your room for a week." Frank supplies.

"Oh, yeah!" Leo finally remembers. "I was actually scared she was going to kill me that time."

Calypso, who sits on the floor with her back against the couch and her head leaning against Leo's knee, laughs. "I know, me too. I know Annabeth's scary when she's mad, but I didn't know exactly how scary until then."

"Oh, trust me," Percy chimes in. "She can get way scarier than that. I've witnessed it firsthand." He shivers as if the memory still terrifies him to this very day.

"It was kind of funny, though." Rachel chuckles. "At least, now it is."

Laughter spreads quickly through the group. The sound of the front door opening and slamming shut rings through the house.

Brows furrowing, Piper asks, "Is Annabeth back already? She left only an hour ago."

"I don't know," Thalia shrugs. "When she left, she said that she probably won't be back until tomorrow."

Percy straightens up. "Something's not right." He could feel it as the footsteps approached the living room. He's known Annabeth since first grade, he knows when his best friend isn't okay. Then, she appears in the doorway. The look in her eyes confirms he was right: something's definitely wrong. Looks of concern are shared as she stands completely still, as if she's a statue.

"Annabeth," Hazel asks, starting to stand up. "Are you okay?" She doesn't answer, just stands there, eyes unfocused. Then, a single tear slips down her cheek. Percy's on his feet and approaching her before anyone could blink.

Annabeth doesn't cry. She _never_ cries unless something is very, very wrong. Percy's known her since they were six. Seventeen years worth of friendship and he's only seen her cry a handful of times.

"Bethie?" He gently touches her shoulder. "What is it?"

Slowly, she raises her eyes to his. "I... I just broke up with Luke."

"What?" Frank asks, surprised. "Why? What happened?"

The tears come faster and harder, Annabeth covers her face with her hands. She sobs into them, and Percy pulls her into his embrace as they others start to approach her. He rubs her back, trying to comfort her. She buries her face in his shoulder and clutches onto his t-shirt.

"Annie," Piper gently touches her shoulder. "Come on, let's sit down, okay? Then, if you want, you can tell what happened."

Percy guides her to the couch and the others follow, worry on every face. After a few minutes, Annabeth collects herself and takes the glass of water Frank offered her. She takes a sip, then exhales shakily.

"Sorry," She sniffs, wiping away the last of her tears from her cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay," Calypso lays a comforting hand on the her arm. "There's nothing for you to apologize for."

Annabeth gives her a watery smile. "So, um, yeah, I broke up with Luke." They stay silent, waiting for her to talk when she's ready. "He was cheating on me."

"I'll fucking kill him." Thalia, Reyna, and Piper all growl in unison.

Percy eyes darken as he lets the information sink in. The sudden, almost overwhelming desire to punch a certain blond man in the face floods through him. He clenches his fists, but wills himself to not do anything rash. He knew if he did anything of the sort, Annabeth would be even more upset. He didn't want that.

"Thanks, girls, but please don't." Annabeth smiles sadly at them before continuing. "He was cheating on me for six months." She huffs out bitter laugh. "You who he was cheating on me with? Drew fucking Tanaka." She spits out the name as is it was poison.

"I'm going to kill her with my bare hands." Thalia seethes, cracking her knuckles. "Seriously, I'm going to fucking murder their asses if I ever see them."

Percy murmurs in agreement, clenching his jaw. It would bring him great joy to beat Luke into a pulp for hurting his best friend. No one is allowed to Annabeth. _No one_. Period.

"Thalia," Annabeth sighs, rubbing her face. "Don't. I'm asking you to please not do anything to them. You too, Percy, Reyna. Please, just drop it." She gives them both a stern look. "Promise me that you won't go and do anything stupid."

Percy wanted to ignore her request, but he knew he couldn't. If Annabeth didn't want him to do something, he wouldn't do it. The same for her. Their a team. They listen to and respect each other's wishes. It's how they've been able to be friends for so long.

So, reluctantly, he nods his head. "I promise." Reyna and Thalia echo him, but he can hear the anger in his cousin's voice. He wasn't worried, though. Thalia's stubborn, but she always follows through with her promises. She's always been like that.

Annabeth stands up, saying, "I'm going to go to bed." She starts to walk towards the stairs, but Percy catches onto her hand. She stops and looks at him, silently asking what he needs.

"You gonna be okay to be by yourself tonight?" He asks, worry clear in his green eyes.

The blonde gives him a soft, tired smile. "Yeah, Perce, I'll be okay." So, he lets her go. She disappears from sight. A few moments later, the muffled sound of her door opening and closing is heard.

Another door opens and one of the other occupants of the house, Nico, and his boyfriend, Will, enter. The two stop, noticing the mood into he room.

"What happened?" Nico asks. "Someone die or something?"

"Nope," Reyna answers. "Just Luke being a cheating scumbag was revealed only a few minutes ago."

"Dick." Nico cusses flatly.

"How's Annabeth?" Will questions, as he and Nico sit down with the others.

"She just went up to bed." Percy answers, running a hand through his hair.

"Piper," Thalia turns the other girl. "Since Percy, Reyna, nor I can do anything about Luke, we're leaving this in your capable hands."

A devilish smile spreads across the brunette's lips. "Way a head of you, Thals. Leo, would you be interested in assisting me?"

Leo grins at her. "Oh, absolutely."

Piper, then turns to Rachel. "Interested?"

Percy's girlfriend shakes her head. This comes as a surprise to the others, especially Percy. Rachel typically would never pass up a chance to get back at someone who hurt one of her friends. She could be more devious than Piper when she wanted to.

"As much as I would love to torment that motherfucker," Rachel explains, "I'll let you guys handle this. If Annabeth ends up getting angry, I'd rather have no involvement. She still scares me a bit. So, I'd rather not be on the receiving end of her anger."

Piper nods as that made sense. "Smart."

Reyna turns a stern gaze on the brunette and Leo. "Nothing illegal. Annabeth doesn't need to deal with you two being arrested on top of everything else."

"Yes, ma'am!" The salute the taller woman, who nods, satisfied. Then, they run off to Leo's room to start planning whatever diabolical thing that their combined minds of chaotic genius could create.

"I don't know whether we should be worried or not about that." Hazel muses, watching their retreating forms.

"Worried," Frank answers. "Definitely worried knowing those two."

"Yeah," Percy hums in agreement. "But whatever they come up with, it'll be spectacular. That's for sure."

Calypso sighs, standing up. "I'll go supervise those two. God knows what they'll come up with. Good night, guys." They all bid her good night, and she follows the path that her boyfriend and friend had gone.

Slowly, everyone heads off to bed, leaving Percy and Rachel alone in the living room. The redhead was talking about her latest art project, but Percy was distracted. He was worried about Annabeth. He knew she'd be okay. She's always been strong like that, ever since they were little. But, this time, he wasn't so sure that she would be able to bounce back like she normally did.

Even when speaking, Annabeth had sounded emotionally detached. Almost like she wasn't there. He'd never seen her like that before, it scared him a bit. The only trace of emotion he could see in her eyes after she stopped crying with exhaustion. No pain, heartbreak, or even anger. Just nothing.

"Percy, are even listening to me?" Rachel's voice breaks through his thoughts.

"What?" He turns to look at her. "Sorry, Rache. I'm just worried about Annabeth."

His girlfriend sighs. "I know you are."

"It's just," He sighs. "I've never seen her like that. Not even when her parents went through their divorce."

Rachel nods, then leans her head against his shoulder. He wraps his arm around her shoulder. "She loved Luke, Percy. And he broke her heart. Of course she's going to be sad for awhile, but then she'll move on. She'll be back to herself soon, just give her some time."

"How is it that I've known her longer, yet you seemingly know her better than I do?" He asks, smiling softly.

Rachel shrugs. "Maybe it's cause I've been where she is before." Percy nods. Percy's had his share of heartbreak from past failed relationships, but he'd never experienced being cheated on. Rachel, on the other hand, has experienced the pain of someone you love betraying your trust, so of course she understood better than he did right now.

"So, you were talking to me about your art?" He asks, switching the topic onto something happier.

The redhead smiles up at him as she starts explaining her latest project.

* * *

The next morning, Percy and Hazel are fixing breakfast for the entire house as Frank and Reyna set the table. The delicious, mouth watering scent of bacon, eggs, and pancakes drifts throughout the entire house.

Percy and Hazel are the two main cooks as Percy inherited his mother's cooking skills and Haze was a natural at it. The four of them are usually the first ones up in the morning, even though Percy isn't much of a morning person. But, he likes to be up before noon as to keep up with his filming schedule. The sounds of shuffling feet alerts him to the other occupant of the house being awake.

Bodies sit down in chairs as they rub sleep from their eyes. Nico has his typical morning scowl on his face per usual. Rachel's curly locks resemble that of a bird's nest, but Percy finds it cute. Leo is falling asleep with his chin resting in his hand, while Will is the only one who seems wide awake. He's always been wide awake the second he wakes up. No one knows how, but at least one less zombified person on his hands.

Checking the body count, he sees notices a person missing.

"Piper," Percy calls. The girl grunts tiredly, letting him know she heard him. "Would you go tell Annabeth it's breakfast time?"

"Do _I _have to do it?" She whines. "Why not make Leo do it?"

"No way," Leo denies quickly. "I did it last time. It's someone else's turn. Have Thalia do it."

"Oh, hell no," Thalia shuts down that idea. "I'm not dealing with Morning Annabeth." Percy chuckles. Annabeth was the worst out of all of them. She was always the hardest to wake up in the morning. This is due to the fact that she would often stay up all night to work on a video and would only just get to sleep as the sun rises. It doesn't help that she extremely cranky in the morning.

"Pipes, it's your turn." He holds out a steaming cup of coffee for her. "Here, take this. Cream and two sugars, just the way she likes it. It'll make it easier to lure her out of bed."

Pouting, Piper takes the mug and disappears up the stairs.

"PERCY! GET UP HERE NOW!" Piper's shout comes only a few moments later. Percy jumps up at the sound of his name, along with Jason who heard the alarmed tone of his girlfriend's vice.

The two cousin bound up the stairs and down the hallway from where Piper's voice had come from. Worry flooding through him as he and Jason fly into Annabeth's room. Stopping, Percy observes the room. Except for Piper, the room was vacant. Annabeth wasn't buried under her covers like every morning.

Piper had set the mug down on Annabeth's desk, holding a piece of paper in her hands. The color was drained from her face, and her hands shook. She raised her multicolored eyes to the two boys facing her.

Percy dashes out of the room and checks the bathroom that he and her shared. Finding it empty, he returns to the bedroom to find Piper sitting on the bed and Jason standing beside her, reading the paper she had been holding earlier.

"Piper," His voice is unsteady as fear grips him. "Where's Annabeth?"

"Look." Jason voice sounds strange as he holds out the paper. The green eyed boy takes it from him. He read the short messaged scrawled out in Annabeth's perfect handwriting. His stomach dropped and he couldn't breathe. The world seemed to fade as everything he was sure of went up in the air.

_I'll be back in a few days. Don't look for me. - Annabeth_

Annabeth was gone, and she hadn't told anyone where she was going.

* * *

**And here it is, yall, the first chapter to 'Candid'! I can't wait to see what yall thought. Sorry, this took me so long to post, but my anxiety was giving me trouble and I needed to focus on myself for a bit. See you guys soon! Remember to favorite, follow, and review! Enjoy!**

**~~Aqua**


	2. Chapter 2

**ANNABETH'S POV**

Annabeth collapses on the bed of her motel room. Blankly, she stares at the ceiling, which is only illuminated by the lamp on the nightstand. Then, she pulls her phone out of her pocket. After a moment of hesitation, she opens up her various social media apps and unfollows Luke on every single one. She even unsubscribes from his YouTube channel.

It's barely five am and she knows that in about four hours, her friends will all be calling and texting her demanding her to tell them where she is. So, she turns off her phone, and throws it to the side. The blonde loves her friends and how protective they all are of each other, she truly does, but she needed some time by herself to think. And she knows she wouldn't get that with them living all in one house.

At least, this time, she left a note.

Annabeth just lays there, letting the silence settle around her. Her eyes burn with unshed tears of anger and hurt. The scene of Luke and Drew locked in a passionate kiss is still clear in her mind. It's like a fresh scrape on her knee, stinging painfully and won't allow her to forget it's there. Except this isn't a wound she can put a band-aid on and fix it. She rubs her eyes, they gray of her irises are dark with exhaustion, physical and emotional.

Rolling over, the blonde buries her face in the pillow. She just wanted to disappear for awhile. Everything was just too much for her take. The twenty-three year old has been through a lot in her short life. But nothing has ever been as painful as this. She felt as if her heart was literally breaking to pieces in her chest. Annabeth swallowed back the sob that was threatening to escapes from her.

The tears are hot as they stain the pillow case. Sitting up, she wipes at them furiously. She hates crying, it makes her feel helpless and weak. The tears keep falling and it's useless for her to keep wiping them away. She gives up and buries her face in the pillow once more. Choked sobs crawl their way out of her throat. Her heart is so broken it feels as if her entire body hurts.

Annabeth hates it. She hates Drew for purposely fucking her boyfriend. She hates Luke for betraying her trust. But, most of all, she hates herself for trusting him in the first place.

* * *

**PERCY'S POV**

Percy's hands shake as he reads and re-reads Annabeth's note. It doesn't feel real at first. He can't believe what's happening. Then, it finally hits him in a wave of cold reality: Annabeth left. Percy's mind races as he immediately dashes from her bedroom and across the hall to his. He grabs his car keys and phone, slips on his shoes, and is running down the stairs as fast as he can. He doesn't even care about the fact that he's only wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt.

_I have to find her. I have to find her._ It's on repeat in his mind, as he's completely oblivious to his housemates confusion.

"Percy, what-" Rachel stops as she notices his car keys in hand. Grabbing on to his arm to stop him, she demands, "What's wrong? Where are you going?" Impatiently, Percy shoves Annabeth's note into her free hand. Rachel quickly reads the note. "Oh my god," The redhead mutters.

"What? What is it?" Thalia asks approaching them. Rachel passes her the note, which his cousin takes and reads. "Fuck, that's not good."

Nico, already deducing what happened, sighed heavily. "Oh, not again."

Piper and Jason appear in the kitchen as the note is being slowly passed around. Looks of disbelief, confusion, and, most of all, concern are each face. Percy, fed up with not doing anything, pulls his arm out of his girlfriend's grasp and heading to the front door.

"Percy, wait!" Rachel calls, going after him. "Where are you going?" She grabs onto his arm, stopping him once more.

He turns to face her, pulling his arm out of her grip once again. "To find Annabeth, Rach, I have to find her." He opens the front door and steps out, Rachel following after him.

"Where are you even going to look?" His girlfriend asks. "She's been gone for hours! Annabeth could be anywhere by now."

Percy spins on the redhead. "I fucking know that, Rachel!" He explodes, unable to contain his anxiety and memories of the past that are flooding to his min. She reels back, surprise in her green eyes, but it quickly turns to anger. Though Percy gives her no time to start the argument he could feel coming. "My best friend is gone, and I'm going to look for her."

With that, he gets in his car and, after waiting for the electronic gate to open, peels out of the driveway. Guilt gnaws away at him. He feels bad for yelling at Rachel like that, but he _needed _to find Annabeth. She wasn't in a good place right now, and he was worried that she might attempt to do something drastic like last time.

His hands tighten on the steering wheel with the memory of that night when they were sixteen.

_Percy's phone rings as he collapses on his bed, exhausted from the hours he'd spent at the hospital visiting his mother, Sally. The visits always drained him of energy, he hated seeing his mom lay in that hospital bed. Groaning, the teen reluctantly answers his phone without checking the caller I.D._

_"Hello?" He yawned tiredly._

_"Percy, it's Mr. Chase," The voice of Annabeth's father confused the boy for a second._

_"Oh, uh, hi, why are you calling me?" Percy asked, hesitantly._

_"Is Annabeth with you?" Mr. Chase demands._

_Percy sat up at the sound of his best friend's name. Any trace of weariness gone from his mind. "No, she isn't. Why?"_

_Mr. Chase voice was thick with anger. "She took off. She's been gone for over three hours now, and I called her multiple times but she won't pick up her phone. I have no idea where she's disappeared off to, the ungrateful child."_

_Worry immediately floods through Percy as he ignored the last comment. Annabeth was always the most responsible in their friendship, it wasn't like her to disappear and not let anyone know where she was going. But, then again, it was _exactly_ like her to run off to think by herself in peace. But, she was never gone for more than an hour at most. She _always_ came back. _

_Annabeth's father growled, "If she shows up, just tell her that I want her home immediately." The older man hung up before Percy could say anything else or even ask why she had taken off. The teen hurriedly slipped his feet into his beat up converses, worn from use, and grabbed his hoodie. A quick glance out the window showed the darkening skies and the rain that threatened to fall from the sky._

_He dialed Annabeth's number as he rushed out the front door. "Fucking shit," He muttered as his call immediately goes to voicemail. She'd turned off her phone. Just then he felt the beginning of the evening rain begin. "Really, Beth, really? Of all the times for you to run off, you had to choose the night where it's going to rain."_

_Percy picks up his pace he sprints from place to place. He first checks all the usual spots in their small town the blonde likes to hide. But, she wasn't at any of them. Mumbling swears, Percy could feel his hoodie and clothes had already been soaked completely through. The cold rain chilled him to the bone, but he couldn't go home until he found Annabeth._

_He'd just run onto the bridge, heading to his next destination, when he spotted her. Realization took hold of him, and his heart was in his throat. The blonde was sitting on the railing of the bridge, a look of contemplation on her face as her feet dangled above the water many feet below her. He had been able to read her body language even from a distance and in the haze of the rain. __Emotions ran through him all at once. Terror, anger, and despair all mixing together._

_He ran wildly towards her, forgetting the numbing coldness that was settling into his body. He stopped five feet away from her. He carefully observed her, not wanting to frighten her. His chest was tight with panic as he watched his best friend sit literally on the edge of life, rain soaking through her clothes and weighing down her blonde curls. _

_Fear crawled its way up his spine. The thought of Annabeth possibly not standing next to him in his future drained all the color from his world. The future lost it's meaning without her. He wouldn't let her. She's his best friend, his person. The one he told anything and everything to. He couldn't bear to lose her. He couldn't lose her or he'd throw himself off that bridge right after her._

_He was about to open his mouth and call to her, when Annabeth turned and looked at him. He sucks in a breath at her expression. Her gray eyes are blank, looking nothing like the intimidatingly intelligent storm cloud colored eyes he was so used to._

They'd finally done it_, he had realized. _Her parents had broken the indestructible girl.

_"Hi, Seaweed Brain," He could just make out her voice above the rain. "Did my dad call you?"_

_"Yeah, Wise Girl, he did." He answered. "He told me that you had run off to think again. He asked me if I would go look for you."_

_Annabeth laughed bitterly. "No, he didn't, Perce. This is my father we're talking about." __Percy took her bitter laugh as approval to approach her. So, he carefully took steps forward until he's standing next to her, leaning his back against the railing. Now, standing so close to her, he saw she was shivering._

_He lightly nudged her arm. "Why don't you climb over here and we head back to my house, 'kay? We can talk there. It beats standing out here freezing to death in the rain. You can stay the night at my place."_

_The corner of Annabeth's lips pulled up. "Is that your nice way of saying 'Annabeth, get off of the fucking railing before you fall, you fucking idiot'?"_

_Percy smiled at her. "Sure. And I'll tell you what - how about we skip school tomorrow and just stay home?"_

_"I like the sound of that."_

_The blonde returns his smile. Percy's panic dissipates a little as he sees it. That smile of hers is a good sign. Gently, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to the solidness of the bridge. He knew they had a lot to talk about tonight. Mr. Chase's demand floated in the back of his mind, but Percy pushed it away. There was no way he was sending his best friend back to that house after she had just decided against throwing herself off a bridge._

_No way in hell._

* * *

**ANNABETH'S POV**

Sitting on the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore rhythmically surrounds her. Annabeth's loose curls blew in the gentle breeze that flew past her. It's a peaceful feeling, completely opposite of the state her mind is in now. She sat with her legs pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, chin resting on her knees.

The sun was slowly descending in the sky. She'd been gone for over twelve hours. She's sure Percy and the others are going out of their minds with worry, but she can't seem to bring herself to go home. She needed to get away from everything. There were too many memories of _him_ that linger in her room. When she laid down to go to bed, she could still smell his cologne on her sheets. She could still feel his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly against him as he slept.

Running a hand through her hair, Annabeth sighs, thinking back to the night she had sat on the railing of that bridge in her and Percy's hometown; the night her parents had finally torn down the remaining shreds of her self-worth. That feeling she had then was the same one she was feeling in this moment. Except this felt a hundred times worse. Her parents had always been strict to the point it bordered on abuse, but she had grown up used to that. This was something totally different that effected her self esteem in the same way.

She's glad Percy found her in time to stop her. She had truly been about to jump when she heard his footsteps running towards her. But, when she looked at him, something stopped her. Maybe it was the panic in his eyes or the slight hesitation she had from the thought of death. Maybe it was both or something else completely, but she was glad that she had him to talk her down from that ledge.

The young woman gets to her feet and slips on her shoes. She walks back to the motel where she had chosen to hide from the world. The sun was almost completely below the horizon as she entered her room. Annabeth kicks off her shoes as she walks to the bed, collapsing on it. She laid there for hours, she knew she needed to eat something, but she had no appetite.

All the blonde could do is lay there on that bed, letting the hours tick by. The night slowly passes by turning into day, and Annabeth never once falls asleep. She doesn't feel like moving or even _existing_ for that matter. She lays there until well into the evening of the next day, feeling nothing but hurt and heartbreak. She wanted it to just go away. She was sick and tired of feeling this way, but it just wouldn't stop.

She couldn't help but feel pathetic to be so despondent over a relationship of all the things in her life she could waste her life away over. She loved him; a part of her still does. He broke her heart and left her alone to pick up the pieces. She was the one who officially ended the relationship, but her ex had basically destroyed everything they built together the second he allowed Drew to assert her influence over him.

Annabeth swallows back a sob and forces down a fresh wave of tears. She would _not_ waste anymore of her tears on him. The blonde won't let him control her emotions any longer. She grabs her phone, turning it over in her hand, debating whether or not to turn it on. She glances at the electronic clock sitting on the nightstand.

_9:56 p.m._

The red numbers glare back at her. She's been gone for over forty-eight hours. Guilt is heavy in her stomach. She knew it was wrong of her to just up and leave with no warning. She just reacted on instinct, quickly calling an Uber and packing a few days worth of clothes into a backpack without a second thought. Running away from her emotional issues had always been a reflex she had. She had been trying to fix that flaw for years, and she had been doing so well too. But, this just took her back to being a helpless sixteen year old girl again.

_Percy's going to be pissed at me._ Annabeth chuckles bitterly at the thought. So, she tosses her phone to the side again. The blonde would go home eventually, whether it be tomorrow or the next day, she'd go home when she's ready too. She closes her eyes, another useless attempt to sleep once again.

* * *

**PERCY'S POV**

Percy paced back and forth in the living room the next morning. His phone is pressed up against his ear. It's been three days since Annabeth left and he's barely slept at all. He's worried out of her mind. The panic only consumed more and more as the hours ticked by with no word from the blonde. He and the others had spent the past days posting updates on Twitter and Instagram, asking their followers to keep a look out for Annabeth.

"Fuck," Percy swears angrily as Annabeth's phone goes immediately to voicemail. She still hadn't turned on her phone. "I'm not fucking with you, Annabeth! Where the hell are you? Call me back immediately when you get this." He hangs up, still pacing.

"Percy, I'm sure she's fine." Rachel attempts to calm his nerves. "Annabeth's an adult, and her note said she'd be back in a few days. Just try to calm -"

Percy cuts her off. "I CAN'T CALM DOWN! My best friend is missing, and I don't know what to do! The last time Annabeth ran off without saying anything was seven years ago. By the time I found her, Rachel, she was contemplating whether or not to jump of a bridge! She could be _dead _for all I know. Do you realize how terrified I am right now? Do you?"

Rachel's emerald green eyes darken as a frown settles on her face. "I do, Percy, but if all you're going to do is take it out on me, then I'm going home." The redhead turns and grabs her purse stalking off towards the door. "I hope you find your precious Annabeth, Percy! After all, she seems to be the only thing you care about!"

"Rachel, wait, I'm... sorry." He trails of as the front door slams shut. "Shit." He groans.

"Okay, so," Percy turns to look at Thalia who sat on the couch, laptop resting on the coffee table in front of her. "I know it's none of my business and she was pissed as hell, but that last bit was uncalled for."

He drops to the floor, crossing his legs. "She didn't mean it. She's just mad at me and stressed out because of this whole situation. She cares about Annabeth just as much as you do, Thals."

"We know," Piper assures him from where she sat on the other end of the couch. "It's just - have you noticed that Rachel seems to be acting different around Annabeth for the past month or so?"

Percy looks up at the brunette. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know exactly." She answers honestly. "Something just seems _different_ about her lately."

"I haven't noticed anything." He tells his friend. "She seemed normal to me."

"You would think having a girl as your best friend for basically your entire life would help you understand girls better." Piper comments, shaking her head.

Thalia huffs out a laugh. "If you haven't noticed, Pipes, our Bethie isn't exactly the best example of how to deal with these types of situations in a healthy manner."

"Yeah," Piper sighs in agreement. "You're right."

"Percy?" He looks back up at the sound of his name. Hazel was sitting in her chair, golden eyes soft with emotion. "Is what you said about Annabeth true? Did she really almost do that?"

He nods. "Yeah, Haze, it is. I have no doubt in my mind that she would've jumped if I didn't find her in time."

"Why would she do that?" Hazel's voice is a whisper. He could hear the catch in her voice. Hazel had always been a soft person.

"It's Annabeth's story to tell," He answers. "But, what I can tell you is that the shit hit the fan during that time. We were both in a very dark place then. We both felt as if our lives were crumbling around us. Which, in a way, they kind of were. But, it's in the past now. We're okay, now, but I' still worried about her. After all, she is my best friend."

He is worried, but the reason wasn't that simple. He's scared she might head down that destructive path that they both had been walking together during that period of time. They had just barely pulled themselves out before it was too late, but if she was back on that path, he doesn't know if he could get her back. It scared him more than anything else ever had before.

* * *

**Alrighty then! Here it is - the second chapter! I hope yall liked it! Remember to favorite, follow, and review! Enjoy! ~~~Aqua**

**REPLIES TO COMMENTS:**

**Guest: Thank you!**

**Guest: Don't worry, I have a plan in mind for the Rachel situation. And also, Rachel doesn't live in the house, sorry for any confusion. I know that I didn't make it all that clear in the first chapter.**

**FreelanceWriter365: Thank you, but there really isn't much that yall can do for me. Along with my anxiety, my therapist diagnosed me with depression and passive suicidal tendencies. So, it's really something that I have work on myself. Thank you for the encouraging words though! They do help me more than even _I_ realize.**

**Didi: Updates will be slow on account of my personal life, sorry! I just need you to be patient with me!**

**PJOIsDaBest: Thank you! And about Rachel and Percy, I have plans...**

**ZebraGirl202: Same! I hate it when things move to fast, so I try to pace out my story as realistic as it can be.**

**Bookworm's fanfics: I actually kind of felt bad about writing Luke in as a shitty person, cause I actually like his character in the books, but I needed someone from the PJO universe for the role of 'Annabeth's cheating ex'. Oh, and feeling hurt requires emotion. Emotion requires energy. And I have none of that. Being permanently exhausted helps keep the emotions at bay lol. I would tell you to just be tired all the time, but that's unhealthy to do and I don't recommend anyone to try it lol.**

**Samantha: Oh, that's perfectly fine! I'm just happy to know that you like my work enough to keep coming back.**

**BethnPercy: As of now, I don't have a schedule. I found that having to keep up with my writing schedule on top of school and everything else, just stresses me out more, so chapters will be posted when they're finished. I'd expect maybe a chapter a week, but I make no promises.**

**SolarFlare579: I started laughing so loud when I read this!**

**Guest: Yes, the story will most definitely be Percabeth! They are my OTP after all.**


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